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An introduction to blogs may help take the fear out of the blogosphere.
More than 175,000 are created on the World Wide Web every day. Every second, more than 18 are updated.1 Blogs, or Web logs, are a growing Internet self-publishing trend, one especially worth noting as the use of health care blogs proliferates among physicians and patients. A quick introduction to a selection of health care blogs reveals their promise as educational and patient care tools, as well as their potential pitfalls.
First, the basics
The word blog can be used as a noun, as in "Jane writes a blog," or as a verb, "Jane blogs every day." Blogs occupy a virtual segment of the Internet known as the "blogosphere," and those who contribute to blogs are referred to as "bloggers." A blog entry, also known as a "post," often reads like a diary entry.
In contrast to most Web pages, which are generally static and convey information in only one direction, blogs are dynamic. Here's how a blog works: An administrator, usually the author, posts an entry on a blog site. Readers post responses. The author responds to the readers' comments and posts entries on other topics. Some blogs include links to other blogs on similar subjects, creating complex virtual communities in which posts refer to related discussions occurring on other sites.
Physicians as bloggers
Some physicians use blogs to chronicle events in their lives or to inspire readers. "Kevin, MD" (http://www. kevinmd.com) is one of the better-linked (i.e., "popular," in blogging terms) physician blogs. The author, New Hampshire internist Kevin Pho, MD, regularly blogs on topics such as the medical liability crisis and the importance of vaccinations. He also offers podcasts (i.e., audio broadcasts in digital file formats that can be downloaded to a computer, an iPod or another MP3 player). Other physician bloggers choose to remain anonymous, such as the family physician author of "Notes from the Country Doctor" (http://www.notesfromcountrydoctor.blogspot. com) who covers issues related to rural family medicine. Another anonymous family physician blogger is the self-described "Medpundit" (http://www.medpundit. blogspot.com).
Jacob Reider, MD, has blogged since 1999 on...